Virtual Reality experiments in the field

Area of Science:

• Experimental Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Virtual Reality (VR) enables realistic simulation of experiences within controlled environments.
• Consumer-grade mobile VR hardware offers potential for global, large-scale psychological studies.
• Field experiments using VR are advantageous, especially during public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility and validity of conducting virtual reality (VR) experiments in field settings using mobile VR.
• To compare mobile VR field experiment results with laboratory-based VR experiments.
• To assess the efficacy of mobile VR for stress induction (public speaking) and relaxation (nature) tasks.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Compared HTC Vive Pro (HMD) and Wearality Sky VR smartphone adapter for a public speaking task with varying audience conditions (N=34).
• Experiment 2: Utilized Google Cardboard for a public speaking and nature task, comparing different device settings (N=60).
• Measured participants' sense of presence, cybersickness, stress, and relaxation levels across conditions.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in presence, cybersickness, or stress levels between mobile VR and laboratory VR (Experiment 1).
• Similarly, no significant differences were observed in presence, cybersickness, stress, or relaxation between mobile VR field and lab settings (Experiment 2).
• Results indicate mobile VR is a viable tool for psychological field experiments involving stress and relaxation.

Conclusions:

• Mobile VR technology demonstrates feasibility and validity for specific psychological field experiments, including stress and relaxation tasks.
• The study provides practical recommendations for implementing VR in field research settings.
• Further research is recommended to explore VR's applicability across a wider range of experimental designs.